Unsung Viola Concertos

[Callipygian]

Milhaud's opus 340 has never been recorded commercially. However, there is a radio recording of the premiere Primrose gave with the German Radio Orchestra. In this interesting overview of 'recently' composed viola works, the brilliant American viola virtuoso Kenneth Martinson (check out his recording of the Milhaud works for piano and viola!) talks about Milhaud's output for viola and mentions that he has a copy of the radio recording (perhaps we should contact him and ask him to share it?  ). Here is the link to the document: http://kennethmartinson.com/pdf/review_column_10.pdf. It also lists his contact info, so if someone is bold enough, go ahead and get us that recording

[Latvian]

Milhaud's opus 340 has never been recorded commercially. However, there is a radio recording of the premiere Primrose gave with the German Radio Orchestra.

I have a copy of the Primrose premiere broadcast. I'll digitize it this weekend and will upload thereafter. The performers, in addition to Primrose, are Hans Rosbaud and the Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra, from Nov. 27, 1958.

[chill319]

Joly Braga Santos's Viola Concerto, op. 31, is recorded and can be had -- for a price: http://www.amazon.com/Joly-Braga-Santos-Divertimento-Concerto/dp/B003JHMF5O/ref=sr_1_11?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1318815141&sr=1-11

[eschiss1]

the Bate which has been mentioned I see was published by Schott (the Library of Congress has the 1951 miniature score).
Hrm, how about Andrey Arends' viola concertino (I see a piano reduction at IMSLP, I would have to seek out a full score if available...- well, it was published as Concertino pour alto-viola avec accompagnement de piano ou d'orchestre op.7, 1886, so it's not one of those student-concertinos whose accompaniment was always piano-only, certainly are those.)
Ah. Score and parts of the Arends at the Fleischer collection it seems - orch. for
solo viola, 2 flutes ,2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons ,2 horns, 2 trumpets (or 1 in the Ricordi edition?), timpani, strings.

[TerraEpon]

So out of curiosity, what are 'sung' ones?
OP mentions Bartock, and there's Walton of course. Martinu maybe? Plus there's one by Telemann that's pretty popular, probably the only Baroque one as such. None in the Classical or Romantic period that I can think of, outside of Harold in Italy which doesn't really count.

[eschiss1]

I don't think the Telemann is a viola concerto in any case, though usually found in a viola arrangement. Viola d'amore concerto I think? Not sure. (Like those of the Stamitz family?) Hrm. Wonder if the manuscripts of Telemann's various viola works are at Dresden library scanned for perusal like many others, it would make checking this easier...
As to sung viola concertos, well, omitting the Bartók/Serly, putting the Telemann TWV 51:G9 on the back burner and the even more definitely not for the actual viola Stamitz likewise, major "Google hits" fwiw include viola concertos by Schnittke, Hoffmeister, Penderecki, Rozsa, McEwen (because of the new CD perhaps), Walton and - erm, don't know how Nigel Keay's work gets there... ?!?... even a few pages in Gubaidulina and Saygun (I have heard the latter but not the former.) (No hint of the Rubbra that soon in ) (Harbison and Gordon Jacob, yes. Hrm. Not a great way of measuring "sung" qualities, no. Nor "singing" qualities either, admittedly.)

[alberto]

I would list among the relatively sung ones Hindemith "Der Schwanendreher" (at least often recorded: I have four recordings of it) and "Trauermusik".
Two other unsung:
-Giorgio Federico Ghedini Musica da concerto for viola and strings
-René Eespere (1953, Estonian) Concerto for viola and chamber orch. (decidedly neo-romantic, CD ANTES 31.91129)

[tcutler]

Latvian,

Have you been able to digitize and upload the Milhaud Viola Concerto no. 2 performance?
I'd very much look forward to hearing it.
Thanks!

[nigelkeay]

....likewise, major "Google hits" fwiw include viola concertos by Schnittke, Hoffmeister, Penderecki, Rozsa, McEwen (because of the new CD perhaps), Walton and - erm, don't know how Nigel Keay's work gets there... ?!?...

er...terribly sorry about that old chap, it seems I've missed my calling; perhaps I should've pursued a career in search engine optimization instead of writing stuff like that....

[Christo]

In my cd collection I have Viola Concertos by:
Ralph Vaughan Williams (Romance and 'Flos Campi' with wordless chorus and small orchestra)

Don't tell me you don't have the handful-or-so versions available of Vaughan Williams' Suite for Viola and Orchestra (1933/34). The viola was, after all, his own instrument. 

I know, however, that you don't have the Portugalsom/Strauss cd with Braga Santos' lovely Viola Concerto. A shame for any self-respecting BSE, but there it is. 

[Dundonnell]

In my cd collection I have Viola Concertos by:
Ralph Vaughan Williams (Romance and 'Flos Campi' with wordless chorus and small orchestra)

Don't tell me you don't have the handful-or-so versions available of Vaughan Williams' Suite for Viola and Orchestra (1933/34). The viola was, after all, his own instrument. 

I know, however, that you don't have the Portugalsom/Strauss cd with Braga Santos' lovely Viola Concerto. A shame for any self-respecting BSE, but there it is. 

Indeed I do have more than one version of the RVW Viola Suite but...no...I do not-yet-have the Braga Santos Viola Concerto Hopefully Naxos will record it soon

[eschiss1]

Portugalsom needs to get a good distributor, they have some neat things (including I think two recordings of Vianna da Motta's fine A major symphony.)

[Alex Bozman]

The last century has seen quite a proliferation of Viola Concerti. Simon Bainbridge, Vytautas Barkauskas, Atli Heimir Sveinsson Konnun for viola and orchestra, Peter Paul Koprowski and a particular favourite, Tadeusz Baird's Concerto lugubre, all feature on cd.

[Tapiola]

Bax's Viola Phantasy (a concerto in all but name), my favorite ever!

[vandermolen]

Stanley Bate's Viola Concerto would get my vote.